The present invention relates to a novel building block and a system of construction which employs the building block. More particularly, the invention relates to a rectangular building block formed from a composition of wood fiber and a thermoplastic or thermosetting resin. The construction system employs an array of such blocks adapted to interlock to form a structure.
It has long been known that rectangular solid blocks are useful in building a structure. Typically, structures are built from bricks, cinder or concrete blocks, or tiles. These building materials themselves are inexpensive, but they are heavy, do not provide much insulation, are expensive to transport and to fabricate and are prone to breakage.
Accordingly, it has long been desired to reduce the weight of building materials, to make them more readily transportable, and easier to handle. To some extent, this has been accomplished by forming the materials with interior openings. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,080,367; 1,477,258; and 2,023,023 show various building blocks are made of brick, ceramic material, clay or terra cotta which have openings therethrough. But, these structural components continue to have substantial weight, are readily broken and have little insulation value. In addition, some may require unusual construction technique which typically results in opposition from the building traces and local building inspectors. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 347,392 and 513,423.
It is also known to use building materials which are not as heavy, such as those made from artificial wood or wood pulp. However, these building materials lack columnar strength, are prone to breakage and are difficult and expensive to fabricate. See, for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 888,399 and 1,921,518.